Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Milan: Italy’s largest private university with global Erasmus mobility
With 42,000 students, 120 programmes and 3rd place in the CENSIS 2025-26 ranking among large private universities (78.0/100), Cattolica Milan is Italy’s largest private university and among the world’s top 5 universities for outgoing Erasmus students. A historic campus with a Bramante cloister, excellence in economics, law, medicine and communication in the heart of Milan.
Unicatt: Italy’s largest private university, between the Bramante cloister and a world top 5 Erasmus position
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Milan is Italy’s largest private university and one of Europe’s most important Catholic universities, with around 42,000 enrolled students and 120 degree programmes covering all the main academic areas: economics, law, medicine, psychology, education, humanities, political and social sciences, and agriculture. With campuses in Milan, Rome (medicine), Brescia, Piacenza and Cremona, Cattolica is a comprehensive university system.
Its most remarkable international achievement is its position within the Erasmus+ programme: the university ranks among the world’s top 5 institutions for outgoing Erasmus students, a record that reflects a deeply rooted culture of internationalisation. 6% of enrolled students are international, with agreements with over 500 universities. It ranks 3rd in the CENSIS 2025-2026 ranking among large private universities (78.0/100). The employment rate is 80%.
The historic campus in Largo A. Gemelli, in the heart of Milan, is one of the most beautiful university campuses in Italy: the Bramante cloister, historic classrooms and internal gardens create an academic atmosphere of great charm, at the centre of one of Europe’s most dynamic cities.
Academic Areas
120 programmes across all academic fields in Milan, Rome, Brescia, Piacenza and Cremona
Unicatt Milan in numbers
From 1921 to the Bramante cloister: a century of Catholic excellence in the heart of Milan
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore was founded in Milan in 1921 by Father Agostino Gemelli — a Franciscan friar, physician and intellectual — with the support of the Federation of Italian Catholic University Students. The foundation took place at a time of intense cultural debate between secular and Catholic culture, and Cattolica set out to become a centre of academic excellence inspired by Christian values.
Since its foundation, Cattolica has been based in the complex of the Monastery of Sant'Ambrogio ad Nemus, one of Milan’s oldest and most prestigious convents, building its campus around the famous Bramante Cloister. This choice gave the university a unique historical and architectural identity within Milan’s university landscape.
During the twentieth century, Cattolica expanded by opening campuses in Rome, Brescia, Piacenza and Cremona. The “Agostino Gemelli” Polyclinic in Rome, founded in 1961, became one of Italy’s most important university hospitals, also known for treating John Paul II after the 1981 assassination attempt.
FAQ — Unicatt Milan
Study at Cattolica: useful resources for your academic path
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Milan is the most ambitious choice among Italian private universities for students seeking an institution with an international outlook, excellence in economics and management, and a campus of extraordinary historical beauty. Read the guide to master’s degree programmes in Italy and discover everything about living and studying in Italy.
